WHITCHURCH UTD 7, ALRESFORD TN 1 (Sydenhams League: Premier Div)

ALRESFORD’S hopes of making up ground at the bottom of the table were crushed by Whitchurch on a wet, dreary afternoon at Longmeadow.

Magpies manager Martin Beck gave debuts to defender Jack Goodship and striker Oliver Yates, while another newcomer, Ryan Davis, came off the bench.

But none of the Alresford players – new or old – will want to remember this game as Whitchurch, who started the day only one place above the visitors, plundered seven goals.

Yet the Magpies created plenty of chances. Yates, Rian Jima-Otero and Aaron Blaxall all hit the woodwork in the first half and two goals were disallowed for fouls. But plenty of good approach play was spoiled by hesitancy in front of goal.

The Jam Boys, by contrast, were clinical in their finishing. They took the lead on 13 minutes when Ben Kneller’s weak clearance was met by an exquisitely-executed Ryan Lambert volley that dipped over the stranded keeper and into the net.

A second goal followed three minutes later, Rudy Plummer unselfishly squaring for Jack McCarthy to ram home.

Plummer made it 3-0 from the spot on 23 minutes after John Mulhern was penalised for handball, and soon Aaron Jarvis seized on another poor clearance and released Danny Phillips who ran through to score.

Seven minutes into the second half, Phillips added the fifth, cutting in from the right and firing under the diving Kneller. Scott Hassell made it 6-0 with a pointblank header from a Jarvis cross.

Alresford finally pulled one back with a precision free-kick from Ben Thomson. But Whitchurch completed the rout with their seventh on 79 minutes as Jarvis skipped through a labouring defence and slotted past Kneller.

Alresford Tn 0, Moneyfields 2. The misfiring Magpies slumped to another home defeat at a chilly Arlebury Park on Tuesday night.

Moneyfields went ahead on 22 minutes when Gary Austin, judged marginally onside, ran on to a through-ball and slotted confidently past Ben Kneller.

Just before the break, Alresford should have equalised. Grant Young’s header looked goalbound and John Howard nipped in to get the final touch, but from an offside position, and the goal was disallowed.

Moneyfields doubled their lead early in the second half. Alresford failed to clear their lines and Austin snapped up his second goal.